Ask Ann: No butts about it

To keep a home marketable, don't smoke inside

7:35 PM,
Sep. 21, 2013

Written by

Ann Hoke

Selling a home with an unpleasant odor is always difficult. Whether that smell is from pets, mildew, or a homeowner's affinity to cook with garlic or other strong spices, any odor that lingers can make a home less appealing to prospective buyers.

It's fair to suggest that no smell has a greater impact on a home's resale value than cigarette or cigar smoke. If all of the health issues associated with smoking aren't enough to deter a homeowner from lighting up, maybe the impact on the home's value will. In fact, there is evidence to support this statement.